For most presenters it would represent a depressing sack-your-agent career nadir. But not for Justin Lee Collins. Instead the first instalment of Channel 5's Turning Japanese travelogue – which included cringe-making moments involving cross-dressing, implied paedophilia and a plastic vagina – really didn't seem that bad. Since signing his golden handcuffs deal with Channel 5 in 2009, Collins has been responsible for such a torrent of unmitigated dreck that this actually stood out as some of the best work he's produced in years.

It's a stark warning of what can happen when a presenter loses a well-loved vehicle. As co-host of the The Friday Night Project, Justin Lee Collins had it all – solid ratings, a procession of willing celebrity guests, a successful professional partnership with Alan Carr and constant opportunities to roll out his tedious Tom Jones impersonation. But then Alan Carr struck out on his own, finding success with his standup tours and his Chatty Man show, and left poor JLC to slowly wither away. He's become television's Andrew Ridgeley, only with less dignity and much sillier hair.

No matter what he's tried his hand at since, Collins has always ended up falling short. His chatshow Good Times – look, just be thankful that it wasn't called I'm the Honeyman – was a tinpot TFI Friday of no real worth. And his Channel 5 gameshow Heads Or Tails was possibly the worst programme ever to be produced in this country, from its flimsy premise – Justin Lee Collins flips a coin 12 times and that's it – to Collins's immortal, utterly harrowing sign-off of "I'll J-L-see you next time."

Collins is by no means the only presenter to wilt along with the death of a vehicle, though. Since he stopped presenting Family Fortunes in 2002, Les Dennis has become nothing more than the punchline to a million cruel jokes. Richard and Judy's decision to leave This Morning eventually resulted in the harebrained choice to plump for a show on the ironically named digital channel Watch in 2008. And anyone who's ever tuned into an episode of Daybreak, or That Sunday Night Show, or most of ITV's football output could imagine Adrian Chiles's tangible dismay about ever leaving The One Show in a strop last year.

But it doesn't have to be like this. Take Davina McCall. There was a point when it looked like Big Brother was all she'd ever do: her BBC1 chatshow was such an almighty failure that it seemed inevitable for her to go down with the ship when Big Brother died. But after a brief period of uncertainty, she eventually found The Million Pound Drop – a show that manages to combine her skill for live television with her skill for generally being quite good with people – and suddenly she's a going concern again. Then there's Graham Norton whois now firmly established as one of the BBC's best-known faces. And if Noel Edmonds can find a second wind as the host of a daytime gameshow about opening some boxes and talking to some imaginary men on the telephone, then surely anybody can.

So who knows, perhaps Justin Lee Collins is destined for a similar rebirth. Just because chatshows, travelogues and standing in a room flipping a coin again and again for no real reason haven't worked out, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't stop trying to find him a suitable vehicle. It's just a case of tracking back to figure out what he's good at. For example, there's that Tom Jones impression of his. And his Bring Back... series on Channel 4 demonstrated a keen knack for nostalgia and shouting. Maybe there's a way to combine those three things – JLC And Zammo From Grange Hill's Karaoke Extravaganza? Bring Back Shouting It's Not Unusual At A Photo Of A DeLorean? There must be a formula out there that can save his bacon. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.